- Time of past OR future Camino
- Recent:Norte/Muxia- Spring '23
MadridWay- Fall '23
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Our round trip flight from Chicago to Madrid to leave tomorrow on Iberia was cancelled a few weeks ago. I then called Expedia and the recording said to wait three days before the flight as the volume of calls was so high. I did that and did finally talk to two humans, requesting refunds, not vouchers. I literally spent 2+ hours on the phone, mostly holding. They themselves in turn were holding with Iberia to get a special code for my refund, but they could not get through to Iberia, so assured me they will be "working on it". I should get refunds in 6-8 weeks "they say". Next was calling Orbitz for our Iberia leg from Madrid to Oviedo. Same exact run around, plus both Expedia and Orbitz were using the same phone number and appear to be somehow connected to each other. Another 1+ hour on the phone again with them, saying the same thing, only now they can not assure a refund as the flight is not officially canceled, only changed to leave three days later! I still have two other calls to Iberia Express to deal with. Since those flights are not canceled (yet), no refund is allowed even though I cannot get to Spain. All these flights are with Iberia.
I fully understand the issues due to the virus and have sympathy, but am left hanging for who knows how long and I wonder how many calls later I will be making....grrr!
Maybe I learned my lesson to book direct with the carrier.
BTW, this is the "short" version of all I dealt with.
Yes, it does take patience. I am retired, but pity those who are still employed and are having to waste their precious free time on all of this nonsense.ARRRRrrrrrrrgggghhhhh! It does take a tremendous amount of patience to deal with all this stuff. . .Hang in there.
Yes, it does take patience. I am retired, but pity those who are still employed and are having to waste their precious free time on all of this nonsense.
Dave, I am old fashioned and usually hold it to my ear the whole time...a dork, I know, so yep, ROES! I did put one of the calls on speaker phone, but still held it and did nothing but sit there waiting. I am always afraid when I multitask while I am on hold that my mind will go blank by the time they come back to the phone...it's happened.Do you suffer from Repetitive On-Hold Ear Syndrome (ROES), or do you put the call on speaker phone as the method to get driven slowly nutz with the repeated music or announcements?
Dave, I am old fashioned and usually hold it to my ear the whole time...a dork, I know, so yep, ROES! I did put one of the calls on speaker phone, but still held it and did nothing but sit there waiting. I am always afraid when I multitask while I am on hold that my mind will go blank by the time they come back to the phone...it's happened.
Oh dear...I feel your frustration @Camino Chrissy..it comes through all too clearly! A circumstance with which many members can relate.Our round trip flight from Chicago to Madrid to leave tomorrow on Iberia was cancelled a few weeks ago. I then called Expedia and the recording said to wait three days before the flight as the volume of calls was so high. I did that and did finally talk to two humans, requesting refunds, not vouchers. I literally spent 2+ hours on the phone, mostly holding. They themselves in turn were holding with Iberia to get a special code for my refund, but they could not get through to Iberia, so assured me they will be "working on it". I should get refunds in 6-8 weeks "they say". Next was calling Orbitz for our Iberia leg from Madrid to Oviedo. Same exact run around, plus both Expedia and Orbitz were using the same phone number and appear to be somehow connected to each other. Another 1+ hour on the phone again with them, saying the same thing, only now they can not assure a refund as the flight is not officially canceled, only changed to leave three days later! I still have two other calls to Iberia Express to deal with. Since those flights are not canceled (yet), no refund is allowed even though I cannot get to Spain. All these flights are with Iberia.
I fully understand the issues due to the virus and have sympathy, but am left hanging for who knows how long and I wonder how many calls later I will be making....grrr!
Maybe I learned my lesson to book direct with the carrier.
BTW, this is the "short" version of all I dealt with.
Sorry to hear of your losses. I may be joining that club eventually...who knows! I have gotten quite a few emails to just "click here" to receive vouchers, but it's not what I/we prefer.Two of my flights next month are/were with South African Air ... who are now liquidating! Gone, bye bye. Don't think any request will fly, unless CC company does? However, if your carrier flys to the US, which I think Iberia does, the DOT says they MUST issue refunds if they cancel or change your flights. As you know, that may mean a lot of waiting.
In the meantime .... Stay Healthy!
While going through a middleman like Expedia is an extra layer, it sounds like they are going to bat for you. I booked directly with American Airlines and they just keep whittling away parts of my trip in May (without telling me), so I can't get to my final destination, yet they still have my return flight listed in My Trips coming from the destination to which they won't fly me! I am not yet at 72 hours from my flight so have not called the airline, but I expect to go through much the same you have, Camino Chrissy. One thing a friend suggested (he works for one of the major credit card companies) is to call my bank that supplies my credit card and have them go to bat for me, in that the airline didn't fulfill its part of the purchase contract.Our round trip flight from Chicago to Madrid to leave tomorrow on Iberia was cancelled a few weeks ago. I then called Expedia and the recording said to wait three days before the flight as the volume of calls was so high. I did that and did finally talk to two humans, requesting refunds, not vouchers. I literally spent 2+ hours on the phone, mostly holding. They themselves in turn were holding with Iberia to get a special code for my refund, but they could not get through to Iberia, so assured me they will be "working on it". I should get refunds in 6-8 weeks "they say". Next was calling Orbitz for our Iberia leg from Madrid to Oviedo. Same exact run around, plus both Expedia and Orbitz were using the same phone number and appear to be somehow connected to each other. Another 1+ hour on the phone again with them, saying the same thing, only now they can not assure a refund as the flight is not officially canceled, only changed to leave three days later! I still have two other calls to Iberia Express to deal with. Since those flights are not canceled (yet), no refund is allowed even though I cannot get to Spain. All these flights are with Iberia.
I fully understand the issues due to the virus and have sympathy, but am left hanging for who knows how long and I wonder how many calls later I will be making....grrr!
Maybe I learned my lesson to book direct with the carrier.
BTW, this is the "short" version of all I dealt with.
Does that apply around the world or is it just an EU regulation?If you do not receive a refund due, even if the carrier has gone out of business, then contact your credit card issuer if you paid by credit card. We are waiting to see if our refund arrives onto our credit card from our cancelled ferry booking (minus deposit as we cancelled). If it does not after 14 days then we were told to contact the card issuer again and move forward from there.
Time spent waiting for adviser but worth it.
Hi Chris,Dave, I am old fashioned and usually hold it to my ear the whole time...a dork, I know, so yep, ROES! I did put one of the calls on speaker phone, but still held it and did nothing but sit there waiting. I am always afraid when I multitask while I am on hold that my mind will go blank by the time they come back to the phone...it's happened.
Does that apply around the world or is it just an EU regulation?
Like @Turga, I don't think it is a general EU regulation.Does that apply around the world or is it just an EU regulation?
These kind of stories are good cautionary tales about why it's best to book directly with the airlines, so that you don't have to deal with a middleman when things go awry!
The music can be hell aswell.Do you suffer from Repetitive On-Hold Ear Syndrome (ROES), or do you put the call on speaker phone as the method to get driven slowly nutz with the repeated music or announcements?
These kind of stories are good cautionary tales about why it's best to book directly with the airlines, so that you don't have to deal with a middleman when things go awry!
It sure is hell as it fades in and out with background noise sporadically.The music can be hell aswell.
I remember when we all had neighborhood travel agents that would take care of this for us.Our round trip flight from Chicago to Madrid to leave tomorrow on Iberia was cancelled a few weeks ago. I then called Expedia and the recording said to wait three days before the flight as the volume of calls was so high. I did that and did finally talk to two humans, requesting refunds, not vouchers. I literally spent 2+ hours on the phone, mostly holding. They themselves in turn were holding with Iberia to get a special code for my refund, but they could not get through to Iberia, so assured me they will be "working on it". I should get refunds in 6-8 weeks "they say". Next was calling Orbitz for our Iberia leg from Madrid to Oviedo. Same exact run around, plus both Expedia and Orbitz were using the same phone number and appear to be somehow connected to each other. Another 1+ hour on the phone again with them, saying the same thing, only now they can not assure a refund as the flight is not officially canceled, only changed to leave three days later! I still have two other calls to Iberia Express to deal with. Since those flights are not canceled (yet), no refund is allowed even though I cannot get to Spain. All these flights are with Iberia.
I fully understand the issues due to the virus and have sympathy, but am left hanging for who knows how long and I wonder how many calls later I will be making....grrr!
Maybe I learned my lesson to book direct with the carrier.
BTW, this is the "short" version of all I dealt with.
I am sorry but I do not know. However the good news, for us, is that I have the refund from Brittany Ferries, paid back onto the credit card as promised. They have been good to deal with, taking the cancellation by email with hard copy posted as back-up. They had 'flexi' ferry only bookings and holiday bookings so that might have helped us. We had read the small-print terms and conditions very carefully before booking.Does that apply around the world or is it just an EU regulation?
But better to get the run around directly from the airline than to get it from the airline and the "agent".Usually I would agree, but I booked directly, and am getting the same run-around. EU rules say an airline owes you a refund if the airline cancels the flight -- so the airline doesn't cancel until the last minute. One website said some airlines force you to check-in and wait until the flight is cancelled before offering a refund instead of a voucher. The so-called voucher system is a scam, because the airlines know many people will not be able to use the voucher within the timelines provided.
Do you suffer from Repetitive On-Hold Ear Syndrome (ROES), or do you put the call on speaker phone as the method to get driven slowly nutz with the repeated music or announcements?
While going through a middleman like Expedia is an extra layer, it sounds like they are going to bat for you. I booked directly with American Airlines and they just keep whittling away parts of my trip in May (without telling me), so I can't get to my final destination, yet they still have my return flight listed in My Trips coming from the destination to which they won't fly me! I am not yet at 72 hours from my flight so have not called the airline, but I expect to go through much the same you have, Camino Chrissy. One thing a friend suggested (he works for one of the major credit card companies) is to call my bank that supplies my credit card and have them go to bat for me, in that the airline didn't fulfill its part of the purchase contract.
I remember when we all had neighborhood travel agents that would take care of this for us.
Yes, many years ago I used to be one of them. But that world changed long ago, and we have been worse off for it. For a long time.I remember when we all had neighborhood travel agents that would take care of this for us.
Australian credit cards come with a "refund if the service or goods are not delivered" guarantee - the credit card providers want the customer to have made reasonable efforts to reach agreement with the service or goods provider (bit difficult if they wont answer the phone) but if that fails, the credit card company will investigate and if you are entitled to a refund under their procedure, they will cancel the debit to your credit card and endeavor to recover the funds from the service/goods provider.Like @Turga, I don't think it is a general EU regulation.
I would go as far as to say that I'd caution against believing that this whole situation is covered by the EU's generous consumer protection laws. I've not looked much into this but have just come across this: Communication from the Commission - Interpretative Guidelines on EU passenger rights regulations in the context of the developing situation with Covid-19, dated 18 March 2020.
As far as I understand it, the Commission has declared the current situation to be a situation of "extraordinary circumstances" and again, as far as I understand it, this frees the airlines from some of their usual obligations towards their customers as far as reimbursement etc is concerned.
Again: Just a word of caution, I've not looked into it much deeper. But these are not normal circumstances so don't expect the normal rules to apply.
Laurie, were your good experiences with American Airlines before Covid19 or after all craziness has broken loose?I have had several experiences with cancelled flights on American, and there was absolutely no problem getting the refund credited back to my account. I did have a similar curious trip posted — the computer had removed the Philadelphia to Lisbon portion of the trip, but left the round trip from my house to Philadelphia in tact. But when I called, there was no problem getting a refund for the whole trip. They will give you the ticket number, and then you go to a special site, where they once again ask you if you want a voucher, but you can easily get a refund.
Good luck! Buen camino, Laurie
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Laurie, were your good experiences with American Airlines before Covid19 or after all craziness has broken loose?
Wow, Laurie, your experience sounds like "a piece of cake"! Good for you! There definately is something to be said for booking directly with the airline. I've used Kayak for years and this is my first mishap, but I have learned a lesson.This was last week — my trip to Lisbon for April 11 was cancelled, and I already have had the money deposited in my account. Another trip to Austin was cancelled in late March, and the money was deposited within three days. I cancelled a trip to DC in mid March, but the flight was not cancelled so I have vouchers for that flight.
My camino trip in May is still showing as scheduled, but it is surely going to be cancelled. I know that airlines are asking for relief from the rule that requires them to refund money when flights are cancelled, and that may well happen before my May flight is cancelled, so I may have to take a voucher in that case, if the rules are changed. But as of today, I think the rule still is that they have to refund the money if they cancel the flight.
Our round trip flight from Chicago to Madrid to leave tomorrow on Iberia was cancelled a few weeks ago. I then called Expedia and the recording said to wait three days before the flight as the volume of calls was so high. I did that and did finally talk to two humans, requesting refunds, not vouchers. I literally spent 2+ hours on the phone, mostly holding. They themselves in turn were holding with Iberia to get a special code for my refund, but they could not get through to Iberia, so assured me they will be "working on it". I should get refunds in 6-8 weeks "they say". Next was calling Orbitz for our Iberia leg from Madrid to Oviedo. Same exact run around, plus both Expedia and Orbitz were using the same phone number and appear to be somehow connected to each other. Another 1+ hour on the phone again with them, saying the same thing, only now they can not assure a refund as the flight is not officially canceled, only changed to leave three days later! I still have two other calls to Iberia Express to deal with. Since those flights are not canceled (yet), no refund is allowed even though I cannot get to Spain. All these flights are with Iberia.
I fully understand the issues due to the virus and have sympathy, but am left hanging for who knows how long and I wonder how many calls later I will be making....grrr!
Maybe I learned my lesson to book direct with the carrier.
BTW, this is the "short" version of all I dealt with.
Wow, Laurie, your experience sounds like "a piece of cake"! Good for you! There definately is something to be said for booking directly with the airline. I've used Kayak for years and this is my first mishap, but I have learned a lesson.
I have used Kayak for years to show me my options and comparative costs for flights, then have compared the details of the flights on the airlines websites before booking directly with the airlines. This works for me.
If I had to use a third party site it would be a well known and regarded one like Expedia or Travelocity, but I still don't like inserting a middleman in the transaction. These companies are not like your local travel agent in the old days, who would work for you to make things right. These third party ticket sellers work on very slim margins and don't have the time to be your agent.For similar reasons, I’ve stopped using 3rd parties like Expedia,
Same here, but now I use Google Flights more, but still check with Kayak before booking directly with the airlines.I have used Kayak for years to show me my options and comparative costs for flights, then have compared the details of the flights on the airlines websites before booking directly with the airlines. This works for me.
I have come to the painful conclusion that my trip is toast too. I was to leave June 2.......
Hello Dfehr. I booked tickets to fly into Barcelona on 2 June also and my flights on Etihad were cancelled
on April Fools day (not funny though) and I have been offered a voucher that I can use up through 31 July
2021 plus a kicker of 5000 reward points. I sincerely hope that's enough time for things to open up. I
suspect they will extend the dates on that voucher if Spain still isn't allowing us Ausies in. A friend of mine
was booked to fly out today and her flight was cancelled about three weeks before mine and she was
given a complete refund by Etihad so there policy has changed somewhere along the line.
Hang in there and stay safe.
There is one plus , no jetlagUpdate...
My round trip flight was purchased as "one" price with "one" booking number, so when I originally received an email that my flight was canceled, I assumed it meant both parts...the going to Spain and the return flight home. Today I received a new email that I have a "flight change" on my return flight for May 19th. That's interesting since I will not even be in Spain...let the craziness continue.
Last year I had an Expedia booking and noticed on the confirmation that it said something about this ticket being composed of two one-way fares. I think there was some warning about this potential situation. You might look at the original confirmation to find similar wording.My round trip flight was purchased as "one" price with "one" booking number, so when I originally received an email that my flight was canceled, I assumed it meant both parts.
I am always afraid when I multitask while I am on hold that my mind will go blank by the time they come back to the phone...it's happened.
I had a chuckle at both these anecdotes so I thought you might relate to this...I certainly do!Some years ago when I was working, I had some phone calls to make ...
Dialled the number........person answered but by then I'd completely forgotten who I was calling!
I was so embarrassed, I just put the phone down.
Had to redial later, this time with mind focused on what I was doing!
A few weeks later the same thing happened but this time I decided to brazen it out..."I'm ever so sorry says I but I've completely forgotten who I'm calling"
The lady just burst out laughing and all was well.
BrilliantI had a chuckle at both these anecdotes so I thought you might relate to this...I certainly do!
View attachment 73702
Keep smiling & don't lose the ability to laugh at ourselves...it will get us through all manner of situations!
PS. I would have PM'd you both with this but can't add attachments so I hope no-one objects...
Great idea...I will do the same!Brilliant
I've taken a picture of this and will be sending it on to a few people!!
This looks very odd to me. I have always been moderately active, but the opportunities of retirement gave me wonderful chances to be more active. Now, I do not normally have to wait for summer holidays to go walking in my mountains. I can go to Spain when I feel called to pilgrimage, and walk in a much longer walking season. From the 800 km of the Frances in my first pilgrimage year to the 1,000 km of the VdlP, I have become more and more active in my retirement. I have some physical challenges to manage, but I still hope, and plan, to go back to walking longer distances in Spain, and for longer periods of time, when this pandemic is over. Next on my list is the Camino de Levante (1,400 km). I am preparing by stocking up on food during this period of compulsory lockdown (most of it on my middle). But all that will be fading away slowly when I get on the trail again. And a "Buen camino" soon to all of you.So, when you begin complaining about sitting around and not able to go anywhere, after this lockdown is over, remember that this is what you have to look forward to when retirement becomes your future.
I was due to be on the VdlP this month. All my flights were booked direct with Iberia. All my flights had at least one leg cancelled except for one feeder flight from SdC to Madrid. I used the Iberia Help desk to request refunds rather than vouchers. This resulted in waiting in telephone queues for a long long time. Much to my surprise two of my flights were refunded within 3 days, however the two most expensive flights still have not been refunded.Our round trip flight from Chicago to Madrid to leave tomorrow on Iberia was cancelled a few weeks ago. I then called Expedia and the recording said to wait three days before the flight as the volume of calls was so high. I did that and did finally talk to two humans, requesting refunds, not vouchers. I literally spent 2+ hours on the phone, mostly holding. They themselves in turn were holding with Iberia to get a special code for my refund, but they could not get through to Iberia, so assured me they will be "working on it"..
BTW, this is the "short" version of all I dealt with.
The UK has a similar consumer law. If the goods or service is over 100 GB Pounds, then the credit card company is jointly liable. If the supplier goes bust or is fraudulent then the credit card company picks up the bill. I have used this service a couple of times and been repaid by the Credit card company.Australian credit cards come with a "refund if the service or goods are not delivered" guarantee - the credit card providers want the customer to have made reasonable efforts to reach agreement with the service or goods provider (bit difficult if they wont answer the phone) but if that fails, the credit card company will investigate and if you are entitled to a refund under their procedure, they will cancel the debit to your credit card and endeavor to recover the funds from the service/goods provider.
As far as I know, this is a benefit attached to the credit card under its T&C and not a statutory requirement.
Does that apply around the world or is it just an EU regulation?
I agree, might cost a bit more but worth itThese kind of stories are good cautionary tales about why it's best to book directly with the airlines, so that you don't have to deal with a middleman when things go awry!
It usually doesn't cost more to book directly with the airline, sometimes less.I agree, might cost a bit more but worth it
I have found that for the same flight, the costs are virtually the same, so generally I book all travel directly with my preferred airline. I have occasionally used Expedia because I have been able to get slightly different routing options (which may or may not result in a lower price) when combining airlines. These are combinations that a travel agent could probably do, as well, but the airlines are understandingly reluctant to show options of coming home on a non-partner airline!It usually doesn't cost more to book directly with the airline, sometimes less.
I do the same thing. However, I booked Aerlingus back in January for a June flight and they willnot refundI have found that for the same flight, the costs are virtually the same, so generally I book all travel directly with my preferred airline. I have occasionally used Expedia because I have been able to get slightly different routing options (which may or may not result in a lower price) when combining airlines. These are combinations that a travel agent could probably do, as well, but the airlines are understandingly reluctant to show options of coming home on a non-partner airline!
As I posted in post #52 above, it was clearly stated that these were two one-way fares that were subject to their own rules and restrictions.
I would not have combined such fares in a journey where one flight was dependent on timely arrival of the previous flight, for example.
Is there an appropriate Acronyme for the fatique you get when you hear the samme section of music ( any piece of music!) over and over again, the kind of occurence that makes you hate even very good music, and that gets scarred by this repetition !!??
Have they canceled the flight yet? If not, you need to wait for Aerlingus to cancel it.I do the same thing. However, I booked Aerlingus back in January for a June flight and they willnot refund
@CWBuff (Buffy), yes, I have already talked to someone from Iberia, but that was two weeks ago. At that time, they emphatically said I had to deal with Expedia. I may try again soon though, or check out our flight insurance or our credit card used...@Camino Chrissy
just a thought... Iberia should be governed by the EU rules, no?
is there any way to try and make sure what their rules\regulations are and (if hopefully favorable) try to talk to Iberia (perhaps again...dont recall if you already tried it) direct?
My UPDATE is I heard from American Airlines today. They've been whittling away various legs of the trip (scheduled for next week) and not telling me, and I've been waiting for them to cancel the whole thing. Since they haven't bothered to contact me about any of the whittling, I was surprised to get an email from American asking me to phone them. I called and the recording said it would be roughly 20-30 minutes in the queque. Turned out to be closer to an hour but I tolerated their awful music, and spoke with an agent who was happy to look for flights to get me to my destination. Since it wouldn't do me any good to go anywhere, I said not to trouble herself and I wanted to look into the option of a refund. She pleasantly said "No problem," and explained she would connect me to someone who would walk me through the process, and said to click on the button in the Refund section on aa.com. I was connected to a fellow who did walk me through the process (and who sounded so bored I felt sorry for him). I was given the options of a refund or a voucher. I had previously determined I would refuse a voucher if offered (who knows when things would be right for travel), but it turned out American would add 20% to the cost if I did. I spoke with the agent about this, saying maybe the airline would go bankrupt before I could travel. He laughed and said the US government has given the airlines so much money there's no way they would go out of business. He then went on to say if it were he, he would take the refund. That's what I chose to do. Supposedly it will go back onto my card in a week. Part of me still sees that additional 20% floating away, but at least it is now resolved.I wrote several weeks ago that I was willing to take a voucher from Air Portugal which was good for one year. I got a pleasant surprise from them today, they added 20% to my voucher and said it is good for 2 years.
That's true, but generally the agent "owns" the booking, and refunds go to the agent who processes them for the client.@chrissy - I booked through Expedia. I would suggest calling your airlines direct, circumventing Expedia completely. It seems Expedia is just an intermediary who sells for airlines and has no say so as to providing refunds or not. Just my opinion though...
My flights are all with Iberia. I had contacted them direct early on and was told I had to deal with Expedia. Maybe since Iberia is not an USA airline they are not being as helpful to me.@chrissy - I booked through Expedia. I would suggest calling your airlines direct, circumventing Expedia completely. It seems Expedia is just an intermediary who sells for airlines and has no say so as to providing refunds or not. Just my opinion though...
The music can be hell aswell.
Not flippant at all. I love it!I hope that this post is not too flippant, but an Australian friend of mine, who was in an amateur production of "The Sound of Music," found herself singing along to the music while on hold, and was then suddenly connected to an agent who, in her turn, began singing back. They finished "You are Sixteen, Going on Seventeen," and then addressed themselves to the business at hand.
So cute!I hope that this post is not too flippant, but an Australian friend of mine, who was in an amateur production of "The Sound of Music," found herself singing along to the music while on hold, and was then suddenly connected to an agent who, in her turn, began singing back. They finished "You are Sixteen, Going on Seventeen," and then addressed themselves to the business at hand.
My flights are all with Iberia. I had contacted them direct early on and was told I had to deal with Expedia. Maybe since Iberia is not an USA airline they are not being as helpful to me.
Update #3
I am very frustrated and starting to feel helpless. I am sure this is what Expedia and Iberia want...to wear me down and give up trying for a refund. If I do give up, then I hope my party of 3 are able to accept vouchers as a last resort. I do not even know if the newbies would be able to plan to go again next year so vouchers are not really a good option for them.
I called Expedia today and only had a half hour being on hold this time. They had requested "waiver codes" for the flight refunds from Iberia through emails they sent on April 16th and again on April 23rd but they have received no response back from Iberia either time. (Iberia supposedly tells them they will not accept phone calls from them).
I then called Iberia myself (which I had done on the 16th) and they still say I must only go through Expedia. I then said "but you are not responding to their emails". I was then told that Expedia must not be providing the proper information to them. I know that they are as I have a copy of Expedia's email to Iberia. Every jot, tittle, correct itinerary and booking numbers, and all our names are included in the email.
So then I decided next to contact my credit card company. A recording said my wait time would be an hour, I waited with the music, only to be cut off and disconnected automatically after 40 minutes.
My next plan will be to contact my flight insurance through AIG. I had called them as soon as my flight was canceled and was told my request would be reviewed by an adjustor "case by case" and that I should find out from Expedia first before I fill out a form for a report. I think I know how that will go if I do..."Run around, run around"...it's a merry-go- round, but not any fun.
I am mainly sending this update for myself to let off some steam as I do not expect many forum members to bother reading through this lengthy negative, yet factual post.
Awww, that's what my mama always said!Hang in there!
Squeaky wheel gets the oil.
Keep squeaking.
"Run around, run around"...it's a merry-go- round, but not any fun.
Our round trip flight from Chicago to Madrid to leave tomorrow on Iberia was cancelled a few weeks ago. I then called Expedia and the recording said to wait three days before the flight as the volume of calls was so high. I did that and did finally talk to two humans, requesting refunds, not vouchers. I literally spent 2+ hours on the phone, mostly holding. They themselves in turn were holding with Iberia to get a special code for my refund, but they could not get through to Iberia, so assured me they will be "working on it". I should get refunds in 6-8 weeks "they say". Next was calling Orbitz for our Iberia leg from Madrid to Oviedo. Same exact run around, plus both Expedia and Orbitz were using the same phone number and appear to be somehow connected to each other. Another 1+ hour on the phone again with them, saying the same thing, only now they can not assure a refund as the flight is not officially canceled, only changed to leave three days later! I still have two other calls to Iberia Express to deal with. Since those flights are not canceled (yet), no refund is allowed even though I cannot get to Spain. All these flights are with Iberia.
I fully understand the issues due to the virus and have sympathy, but am left hanging for who knows how long and I wonder how many calls later I will be making....grrr!
Maybe I learned my lesson to book direct with the carrier.
BTW, this is the "short" version of all I dealt with.
It's usually no more expensive to book directly with the airline, abd you save yourself all kinds of problems.maybe worth going directly through Airline, might be more expensiv,
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